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The Joys of Speaking a Foreign language

If you've ever been at the receiving end of German "high technology" you're a little more careful. I've had several Opels (Vauxhall), a Mercedes, a VW Passat (stopgap after the Opel spilled its differential, oil pan and oil pan contents all over the autobahn), Audis (forced on me by my employer).
The most reliable car I have driven so far was (drum roll) my girlfriend's Land Rover Freelander 2. 11 years 280,000 km and so far only wear parts. The wife now gets to drive the Discovery and I take the Freelander.
I think we can discount Opels, which were always proper shite.

My mate has a pile of Audis (all working) on his driveway, (don't ask) and his main one is on its third lap of the odometer.

He only changed it because his boss got the hump about the age of it and his company car allowance.

He's hoping his lad buys it.
 
I think we can discount Opels, which were always proper shite.

My mate has a pile of Audis (all working) on his driveway, (don't ask) and his main one is on its third lap of the odometer.

He only changed it because his boss got the hump about the age of it and his company car allowance.

He's hoping his lad buys it.
Yes, after that Lopez guy got his hooks into the company, that's probably true. Before that, they built quite solid and reliable vehicles, sometimes a bit stuffy looking.
 
I discovered this word on a bottle of alco juice.

"Brimborium", had to ask my German Missus what its meaning was? Now to try and find a way to slip it into general conversation.

View attachment 582552
Found this.
The term fuss is today generally for incidental circumstances , superfluous , unnecessary expense , fuss used. [1] Brimborium comes from the French word "brimborion" ( Lappalie ), which in turn goes back to the Middle French word "breborion" , "briborion" ( magic formula , magic prayer , little thing without value). The origin of this word is presumed to be in the ecclesiastical Latin vocabulary: Breviarium(Breviary), a text book for the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hourswhose mechanical praying down was considered an ineffective effort. [2]
 
I don't knov vhy sie alvays put zee v in vords vith w ant zee z in vords wiz th ant zee e insteat of a vhen it komes to germans.
But ve haff veys of making you tok.
I think it‘s sheer snobbery. After all the Latin v would be pronounced W as alluded to in 1066 and all that with Weeny Weedy and Weakey. So whitworth would probably come out as Whitworse given the accent. Mind Whit is no worse than Metric
 
I think it‘s sheer snobbery. After all the Latin v would be pronounced W as alluded to in 1066 and all that with Weeny Weedy and Weakey. So whitworth would probably come out as Whitworse given the accent. Mind Whit is no worse than Metric
W,U and V are derived from the same root; it's a bit of a myth that the Germans always pronounce W as a hard V; it actually seems to vary from listening to Germans.

There's also a good reason why W is called 'double-u'; it was just that originally.

Also, the letter W in Scandinavian languages is seldom used, but in Danish, V is often pronounced closer to W in any case.

There is a specific stave for W in the Elder and Anglo-Saxon runic Futharks (Wunjo), but none in the younger (Norse) Futhork. U (Úr), however is present and may well have been used in its stead.
 
W,U and V are derived from the same root; it's a bit of a myth that the Germans always pronounce W as a hard V; it actually seems to vary from listening to Germans.

There's also a good reason why W is called 'double-u'; it was just that originally.

Also, the letter W in Scandinavian languages is seldom used, but in Danish, V is often pronounced closer to W in any case.

There is a specific stave for W in the Elder and Anglo-Saxon runic Futharks (Wunjo), but none in the younger (Norse) Futhork. U (Úr), however is present and may well have been used in its stead.
I’m sure that you’re absolutely right about the technicalities , but @LeoRoverman also has a point. The fixation with how other nationalities pronounce aspects of English is a way of trying to establish English superiority. ”Those johnny foreigners can’t even pronounce a W properly”
 
I’m sure that you’re absolutely right about the technicalities , but @LeoRoverman also has a point. The fixation with how other nationalities pronounce aspects of English is a way of trying to establish English superiority. ”Those johnny foreigners can’t even pronounce a W properly”
I've never really thought about it, but you're right. If you look at old WW2 films, the Germans always speak English a certain way. "Ve haf veys of making you talk" etc.

Apparently it was because so few had actually spoken to a German that it was a best guess.

I've never heard an actual German speak English anything like that.
 

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